Now, alliance hiccups for BJP in Jharkhand

Post the alliance trouble in Maharashtra, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is facing new challenges from its alliance partner in Jharkhand where the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) has announced its list of 12 candidates for the forthcoming elections.

The AJSU has announced candidates for three seats — Chakradharpur, Sindri and Simaria –– where the BJP has also fielded its own candidates. The AJSU, which was earlier demanding 19 of the 81 seats in the alliance, agreed to limit it to 12 after AJSU president Sudesh Mahto met BJP president Amit Shah over seat-sharing in New Delhi on Monday.

Post the meeting, the AJSU agreed to contest only in 12 seats. However, the party demanded three seats where the BJP had already announced a candidate or was willing to contest.

Mahato, who announced the list of candidates after going back to Ranchi from Delhi on Monday, told ET over phone from Ranchi: “It’s up to the BJP whether they want us to be in the alliance. They didn’t discuss with us before announcing their candidates. Now, we have also gone forward to announce our candidates on seats where we are in a strong position. We have told them that we are going to announce our list.”

Mahto said he will wait for BJP’s response till tomorrow (Tuesday) and thereafter take a call. In 2014, AJSU had contested on eight seats.

In Chakradharpur, where BJP has given a ticket to state president Laxman Gilua, AJSU too has announced its candidate. In Chandankiyari, the BJP is planning to field sitting MLA and minister Amar Kumar Bauri. In 2014, the seat had gone to AJSU in the alliance. Bauri was Jharkhand Vikas Morcha MLA and had later joined the BJP. Here, too, the AJSU has fielded a candidate.

NO TIES LIKELY WITH LJP

Similarly, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) is unlikely to get any seat in its alliance with the BJP this time, unlike in 2014, when it was given one seat. LJP president Chirag Paswan had demanded six seats on Monday morning. But since there may not be a possibility of any alliance with the BJP, the LJP has asked its Jharkhand state president Virendra Pradhan to submit a list of candidates for around 40 seats.

There is also some confusion within the BJP over some senior leaders’ candidature.

Sources told ET that chief minister Raghubar Das is not keen on fielding BJP leader and state minister Saryu Roy from Jameshedpur West assembly seat. Roy, who went to Delhi on Monday evening, will meet party leaders on Tuesday.

BJP has already announced a list of 52 candidates, denying tickets to 10 sitting MLAs. BJP hasn’t said anything about its alliance with AJSU and late night discussions are likely to take place between the two parties. Mahto is expected to hold a press conference on Tuesday afternoon in Ranchi to talk about his further moves.